


Don't Need the World to End (to fall in love)

by Enk



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: F/M, Friendship, Gen, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-29
Updated: 2014-12-29
Packaged: 2018-03-04 02:52:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,440
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2906546
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Enk/pseuds/Enk
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Once all the dust settles, once the world is no longer in danger, life goes back to normal. A little too normal perhaps.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Don't Need the World to End (to fall in love)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Yalu](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yalu/gifts).



Intellectually, Jane knows Thor can't possibly have fallen in love with her already. He hurts, puts on a brave face, and bathes her and her friends- well, Darcy and Erik- in affection and company. That's it. Now that the world has settled down for a while, things are different. They're back to their regular lives. Intellectually, Jane knows why Thor had to leave Asgard and come to Earth. Intellectually, she can dissect and rationalize: the man has lost his brother- for the second time- and his mother in a single day. Giving up a throne and turning his back on his own people to be here on Earth with his new friends, without every corner of a world reminding him of what he's lost, that makes sense to Jane. Emotionally, she can't quite reconcile the implications that this has all been for her.

For one, they don't know each other. Three days in New Mexico, and a few more days in Asgard and on their adventure across the realms. She trusts Thor, with her life. Of course she does, he has proven himself trustworthy a few times over now to the point even Darcy has shelved the tazer jokes. For the most part. Secondly, whatever this is had stemmed from moments of incredible crisis, moments filled with endorphins and rash decisions meant to save lives. 

Thor stays close when he isn't with the other Avengers planning and meeting and whatever it is they do in Tony Stark's tower. He lives in his own place close but still a respectable distance of three underground stations away. Sometimes, Jane wakes up to a knock on the door with hot coffee and breakfast, sometimes they take the train into the countryside to observe the stars and continue translating Asgardian technology into what is possible on Earth, but the difference remains: they don't really know each other. Of course, despite the world seemingly at peace, they've both been busy. Jane still has a job to do. Thor is still part of the Avengers. So, that's what they talk about: physics and heroism and-

“You know, I'm pretty sure you're halfway across the galaxy, but believe me, your body is still on Earth and needs to eat.” Darcy smiles from across the table. Oh yeah, they're out to lunch at the Blue Print Cafe on SHIELD's dime. Darcy had picked because it is expensive and she wanted to see something other than the research libraries of London. Jane does miss her constant presence in the labs. Darcy still stops by as often as she can, but now that she is working on a PhD- studying the impacts of organized heroes on municipal policy making or something to that extent- time has been scarce. 

“I'm sorry,” she smiles, “it's just-”

“Tall, blond, and handsome?” Darcy spears a few beans with her fork and chews on them with a smile. 

“I- I don't... I never said that.” 

“You don't have to!” The knowing smile stays on Darcy's face, “Thor's been back for close to three months now and every time you look at him you get the same face you get when you're trying to solve one of your Math puzzles.”

“Entanglement equations.” 

“That's what I said.” She looks Jane straight in the eyes. “And while you're on a roll, you're trying to solve love at first sight with Math.”

“That's ridiculous,” Jane shifts in her chair, “that's a made up concept straight out of romance novels written to make people feel better about themselves. Love at first sight doesn't exist.” She doesn't meant to rant, but she can't stop herself. “Sure, instant attraction can be a thing, but love? Love comes from mutual understanding of who the other person is. Love comes with time, after people get to know each other.”

“Tell that to Thor, he gave up an entire world for you.”

“I don't think he did.” She looks at her plate and moves around a few vegetables. Why does she feel disappointment at the thought? “If a place broke your heart, you wouldn't want to stay there, would you?”

“Not if the other place had awesome friends and an even more awesome girlfriend.”

“I'm not his- his girlfriend. That's just-” 

“Well, no one else is either,” Darcy raises an eyebrow and takes a sip from her glass of water. 

For now. That part is silent, but Jane knows it's there. A large part of the population is more than willing to throw themselves at Thor if he gave them only a chance. But he hasn't, has he? Thor has been around, a lot, but always giving Jane any amount of space she needed. Jane had been the one who kissed him on the roof when he'd returned. Jane also had been the one who had kept Thor at a distance as she lost herself in her own work to reconcile that she couldn't fathom someone wanting to give up a world for her. Instead of-

“I have to go.” Jane nearly falls out of her chair as she gets up. “I'm sorry- I'll make it up to you, I promise, I just have to...” She stands awkwardly beside the table, realizing she's bailing on her best friend. 

“He's at home baking.” Darcy pulls Jane's plate over to her side of the table. “I stalked his facebook while you were deciding on whether to have mental crisis or epiphany. Glad you went with epiphany.” She smiles again. “Why are you still here? Go! Tell me everything later!”

The train ride to Thor's place passes as a blur of people and thoughts as Jane tries to mentally rehearse what she is going to say and keep herself from getting off three stops too early because what emotional resolve she had, slowly began to fizzle away with each Mind the Gap. But then she thinks of his face when he saw her on the rooftop after everything had calmed, that smile, the warmth in her stomach when she looked at him. Before she realizes, she stands in front of his door out of breath, her knuckles sore from knocking maybe a tad too hard. 

“Jane,” Thor says when he opens the door with a smile that gives way to a look of concern, “is everything-”

“Oh yes, fine, well not fine, I just realized something, and the elevator took too long so I ran up the stairs, you live on the top floor, did you know that? Of course you did. But really I came here because I wanted to talk to you and it's a little weird to explain in the hallway, so maybe I could come in?”

“Of course,” he steps back and opens the door. There's something in his eyes she can't place, something he wants to say but he doesn't. Instead he waits until she's inside and takes her coat. And that makes her feel warm in the stomach again. “Would you like some coffee or tea?” He offers and walks into the kitchen while she takes off her shoes. “I have baked bread and cookies.”

It should be odd to think about Thor of all people baking in a kitchen, but it's not, not to Jane. Sure, he's the size of a- well, god- and comes from a civilization far advanced, but he's just excited to explore new things, to experience Earth as a participant rather than an external observer, rather than a separate entity. Fighting a battle against an army of monsters to Thor is as exciting as figuring out a French press, a French press which currently mingles the smell of coffee with the smell of cookies and Jane realizes that this feels like home. Thor feels like home.

“We should go on a date,” she blurts out when he hands her a warm mug of black coffee and continues before he can react. It's an impulse she can't suppress, not now that she's started,“a real date, right now if you're not busy. Just you and me and I'll leave my cellphone, no work, no distractions. Just us.”

“I would be delighted.” Thor doesn't miss a beat. He does look surprised, but Jane thinks it's probably more due to her offer to leave her phone behind rather than the offer of the date itself. 

When they leave the building a few minutes later, they begin to talk and talk they do, about themselves and each other, about their hopes and dreams, on the underground, on the bus, as they stop to eat, and when they walk along the water in Victoria Park, she reaches out to hold his hand.


End file.
